Mail delivery was a sporadic and unreliable system in the eighteenth century, both irregular and limited. The United States did not have a government postal service until 1847. Transatlantic service became more reliable with the advent of steamships, which were more dependable than sailing ships, but it took time to develop a truly reliable system.
Steamships could deliver mail to the West Coast, but settlers on the Great Plains needed to feel connected to the rest of the country. To address this, Congress provided financial incentives to stagecoach lines to create and maintain mail routes in the new territories. In 1858, Waterman Ormsby wrote to the New York Herald about traveling on a stagecoach that carried the mail. He wrote, “The cry of ‘all aboard’ and the merry crack of young John Butterfield’s whip denoted that we were off…We rode along at a somewhat rapid pace because John Jr. was determined that the overland mail should go through his section on time. I must confess it was a matter of astonishment to me how the driver ever found his way in the darkness.”
Transatlantic mail, in particular, was problematic. It ran into a bottleneck upon entering the country, as foreign mail was screened in New York City. From there, it was parceled out to other hub post offices, like Chicago, and from there to even smaller post offices. The postal system was crucial in keeping settlers on the frontier connected with the rest of the country. Newspapers helped keep the frontier informed of national news, and the mail also served to keep families connected. With so many immigrants on the Great Plains, transatlantic mail from family members still in Europe was always welcome.
On this date in 1912, the Post Office announced a change that would ease the delivery of transatlantic mail. Instead of being screened in New York, mail destined for the Great Plains would be shipped directly to St. Paul. This change would decrease delays, especially during Christmas, and enhance the importance of St. Paul as a commercial hub. George Washington envisioned a nation united by a system of post roads and post offices. As the system developed, the Post Office played an important role in binding the nation together.
Dakota Datebook by Dr. Carole Butcher
Sources:
- Bismarck Tribune. “Foreign Mail to Take a New Route.” Bismark ND. 12/23/1912. Page 3.
- Smithsonian National Postal Museum. “Transatlantic Mail.” https://postalmuseum.si.edu/exhibition/about-philately-covers-and-letters-land-and-sea-overseas-mail/transatlantic-mail Accessed 11/1/2-24.
